Ship stabilizer



H. P. LASSETER SHIP STABILIZER Aug. 18, 1953 Original Filed Feb. 27,1946 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Ha ZerZ'PLaaseZ'er Aug. 18, 1953 H. P.LASSETER 2,649,063

SHIP STABILIZER Original Filed Feb. 27, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 2 l Q)IIIIIIIIJ t\ \o N 3% INVENTOR. HZ-erZI BLassaZ'er Aug. 18, 1953 H. P.LASSETER 2,649,068

SHI'P STABILIZER Originpl Filed Feb. 27, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 WATER 7T7 L/ 77 I LINE I N VEN TOR.

fikiefZPLasseZer Patented Aug. 18, 1953 SHIP STABILIZER Hubert P.Lasseter, Havana, Fla., assignor of onehalf to George P. Koelliker,Tallahassee, Fla.

Original application February 2'7, 1946, Serial No.

650,399. Divided and this application November 17, 1949, Serial No.127,885

1 Claim. 1

The invention relates to a stabilizing means for vessels and is adivision of my application bearing Serial Number 630,399, filed February27, 1946, now Patent No. 2,508,068.

An object of this invention is to provide a means for attachment to thesides of a vessel, particularly a fairly small vessel such as a fishingvessel or the like, whereby the vessel will remain on a more even keelduring heavy weather.

Another object of this kind is to provide in a vessel an improved meansfor breaking up the waves striking the vessel when the latter is eitheranchored or moving so that the vessel will not be subjected to theimpact of a large body of water.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a vessel an outershell which may be rendered perforate or substantially imperforate asdesired depending upon weather and water conditions.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a vessel an outershell which is formed of pivoted plates or slats which in their closedpositions are adapted to overlap each other, and which in their openpositions are inclined in a manner to break up force of the impact ofthe waves by dividing the waves into small streams of water.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a device whichmay be applied to any floating, mobile or stationary unit subject to theaction of waves for breaking up the waves, as a breakwater, therebyprotecting the unit from. the action of large waves.

To the foregoing objects, and others which may hereinafter more fullyappear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combinationand arrangement of parts, as will be more specifically referred to andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understoodthat changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fallwithin the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a vessel constructed according to anembodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view,

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a detail side. elevation of the forward stabilizer,

Figure 6 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 66 of Figure 9,

Figure 7 is a perspective plan view of one of the lateral stabilizers,

Figure 8 is a perspective plan view of another lateral stabilizer,

Figure 9 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-9- of Figure 1,

Figure 10 is a vertical section on line III-l0 of Figure 9 with the porthole tubes removed,

Figure 11 is a horizontal section taken on the line lI--ll of Figure 10,

Figure 12 is a vertical section taken on line lZ-IZ of Figure 9.

Figure 13 is a fragmentary section taken on line l3-l3 of Figure 2,

Figure14 is a fragmentary vertical section on line I4I4 of Figure 1,

Figure 15 is a section taken on line l5-l5 of Figure 14.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 30 designates generally the hullof a boat equipped with an embodiment of this invention for stabilizinga boat in rough water.

The stabilizing means operates by breaking up the large waves intosmaller waves or streams, and this is accomplished by providing seriesof vanes or fins 3| and 32 along the sides and bow of a boat, which maybe closed in smooth water to provide the least amount of resistance, andmay be opened to form a grating to break up the waves in rough water.

The forward vanes 32 are supported in a vertical position along the bowof the ship by a series of vertically spaced apart channel beams 33which are spaced outwardly from the sides of the ship 30. The vanes 32are rockably mounted on the beams 33 and the lower vanes 32 are fixed tothe vane immediately above by a rod 34 (Figure 14), which is looselycarried by the beam 33. To rock the vanes a spur gear 35 is fixed to therod 34 attached to the upper end of the uppermost vane 32, above theflange of the upper supporting beam 36.

A gear rack 31 is slidably secured to the upper side of the flange 36 bya bolt 38, fixed to the flange, engageable in the slot 39 of the rack31. The teeth of the rack 31 engage the teeth of the gear 35 whereby anysliding movement of the rack 31 will rock the vanes 32 to open or closedposition. The rack 31 is actuated by one of the gears 35, which isprovided with a crank 40 having a handle 4|, which may be actuated by anoperator.

The vanes 32 are supported outwardly from the side of the ship by anextension of the deck plate 45, and the beams 33 are supported from theship 33 by a vertical bow plate 46, and by fixed lateral air streamdeflector plates ll. The plates 47 are fixed to the hip 33 so that theplates extend rearwardly and downwardly a short distance above thenormal waterline. The plates 4! are provided with openings 43 to breakup the waves striking upwardly against the bottom of these plates 41. Aplurality of plates 41 are extended along the sides of the ship, justabove the Water line.

Immediately after the bow vanes 32, a series of horizontally rockablevanes 31 are provided along the ides of the ship. The vanes 3| arerockably supported from a series of vertical channel beams 42 by a rod43 fixed to the ends of the vanes and extending through the flange ofthe beam 42.

The beams 42 are supported outwardly from the sides of the ship 39 by anumber of tubular supports 44, which are fixed to the sides of the ship30. The tubes 44 are adapted to be secured to the port holes of theship, so that the vision through the port holes is not obstructed by thevanes 31.

The vertical beams 42 extend downwardly from a point substantially levelwith the deck of the ship 39 to a point above the Water line and justabove the stabilizer plates 41. Smaller tubular supports 49 fix thelower end of the beams 42 to the side of the ship 30.

A spur gear 59 (Figures 9 and 10) is fixed to the rod 43 between thebeam 42 and the tube 44, for rocking the vanes 3| to open or closedposition. Engaging the gears 50 is a gear rack which is slidably mountedto a flange of the beam 42 by bolts 52, fixed to the beam 42 andengaging in elongated slots 53 in the rack 5|. The rack 5| is actuatedby a gear 54, mounted above the deck of the ship, having a crank 55fixed to a rod engageable through the support 56 and fixed also to thegear 54. A spring pressed detent 51, fixed to the support 56 engageswith gear teeth 58, formed in the hub of the crank 55 to lock the crank55 in any selected position whereby the vanes are locked in any positionfrom full open to full closed.

Also supported from the beams 42 is a vertical air stream deflectorhousing 59, which extends along the side of the ship 30, and downwardlybelow the water line a short distance. The lower end of the housing 59is turn-ed inwardly to form a short flange 60. The lateral plates 41 arefixed between the vertical stabilizer 59 and the side of the ship 30.

The overlapped position of the apertured stabilizer plates 41 extendingbetween the hull 30 of the vessel and the vertical stabilizers 59 spacedoutwardly from the hull and formed with horizontal flanges 60 turnedinwardly toward the hull form channels for controlled passage of air andWater along the sides of the vessel. The force developed by water andair rushing through these channels on forward motion of the vessel isutilized to stabilize the vessel. It is obvious that the lift effectedby the air passing through the channels above the normal water line ofthe vessel will be increased as the speed of the vessel is increased.Furthermore, by merely increasing the width of the lateral plates 41increased air lift efiect may be attained as desired. In medium sizedvessels, such as patrol craft, sub chasers or the like, such an increasein the width of the lateral air deflectors is highly desirable as itwould not only effect greater economy of operation but would makegreater speeds possible of attainment by reason of the increased airlift provided thereby. Controlled stability of the vessel is also easilyattainable with the instant construction as the above mentionedstabilizing forces for which the assemblage is designed can becontrolled at will by opening or closing the prow grill as founddesirable since separate controls for the prow grills are provided ateach side of the hull. The channels extending along either the port orstarboard sides of the vessel can be individually affected so that theair stream force and air lift of either channel can be effected tovarious degrees either manually or gyroscopically as desired orwarranted by the size of the ship and the turbulence of the sea in whichit'is being operated.

Still another desirable effect of the apertured plates 41 positionedabove the surface of the water between the hull of the vessel and thevertical side plate deflectors 59 is that the air tunnels formed therebyconfine the air entering therein as it rushes therethrough above thewater so as to have a leveling effect on the water within the tunnels atthe sides of the vessel. The apertured arrangement of the plates is suchas to break up the crest of any waves rising above the normal water lineof the vessel as they enter the channels and thereby prevent the wavesfrom disturbing the vessel.

It will also be apparent that by extending the apertured plates 41throughout the length of the vessel stern drag may be greatly reduced ifnot entirely eliminated.

Thus by this invention I also obtained the object of providing channelsextending longitudinally of a ship or vessel through which the passageof air and water is directed to add control lift at each side of thehull of a ship.

In accordance with the patents statutes I have herein described theprinciple and operation of my invention, together with the apparatuswhich I now consider to represent the best embodiments thereof, but Idesire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is onlyillustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means.Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements inthe combination and relations described, some of these may be alteredand others omitted without interfering with the general resultsoutlined, and the invention extends to such use and it is thereforeintended that the scope of the invention be regarded as limited only bythe terms of the claim.

I claim: a

A stabilizing means for a ship having a floating hull structure, aportion of which extends above the water line, a plurality of spacedtransverse supports extending outwardly on opposite sides of said hullstructure, depending members carried by said supports, horizontallyextending vertically disposed plates carried by said depending membersand positioned partly below and partly above the water line, a pluralityof upwardly and forwardly inclined stabilizer plates carried by saidvertical plates disposed between the latter and the hull structure, askeleton bow frame fixed to said vertical plates and said hullstructure, a plurality of vertically disposed vanes in said frame, meanspivotally mounting said vanes whereby said vanes may be disposed inclosed position or in open wave breaking position.

HUBERT P. LASSETER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 650,758 Lake May 29, 1900 1, 14,227 Tolman Aug. 26, 19191,460,844 Bullis July 3, 1923 1,499,900 Zucker Q. July 1, 1924 2,040,984Francesco et al. May 19, 1936 2,385,985 Harrison Oct. 2, 1945 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 19,496 Great Britain of 1893

